KONSTANTIN "GUS" BOULIS: Was trying to take back control of SunCruz when he was gunned down the night of Feb. 6. 2001 in Fort Lauderdale. As a teenager, Boulis jumped a Greek freighter to Canada in 1968, got a job washing dishes at a Toronto sandwich shop and within five years had launched his empire of Mr. Submarine shops in Canada. Came to South Florida in 1979 and embarked on several ventures, including the Marriott Key Largo Bay Beach Resort and a chain of Miami Subs shops. Launched his first SunCruz vessel in Key Largo in 1994, and later expanded to other ports, including Hollywood. Built his fleet to 11 ships in Florida and South Carolina, drawing the ire of Florida's anti-gambling attorney general and Hollywood beach residents who objected to his 600-passenger ship docked on the Intracoastal.

The buyers

ADAM KIDAN: The former owner of the national Dial-A-Mattress chain. Grew up in New York and graduated in 1989 from Brooklyn Law School. Ran two bagel businesses and had a law practice. In 1993, his mother was killed during a botched robbery at her Staten Island home. His stepfather later sued Kidan, accusing him of misappropriating $250,000, including reward money to be paid for the capture of his mother's killers. The dispute led Kidan to give up his law license. After purchasing SunCruz, Kidan paid "consulting fees" to Gambino crime family associate Anthony Moscatiello and his daughter, Jennifer. Anthony Moscatiello was indicted on federal drug charges in 1983 along with John Gotti's brother, Gene, and other Gambino associates. Gotti and several others were convicted and sent to prison; charges against Moscatiello were dropped.

JACK ABRAMOFF: Until recently was a top Washington lobbyist and rainmaker for two major law firms, Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds and Greenberg Traurig. Now a leading figure in the ethics controversy surrounding House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). Abramoff is a grand jury target in Florida and in Washington, D.C., court records show. Also under scrutiny by two congressional committees for allegedly bilking Indian-tribe clients of more than $80 million.

How they met

Abramoff had known Kidan since the 1980s when Abramoff was in law school at Georgetown and Kidan was an undergrad at George Washington University. Both were active with the College Republicans. They had agreed to go into business selling ad space on water taxis on Washington's Potomac River when the SunCruz deal came along. Abramoff learned from a colleague at Preston Gates that Boulis was looking for a buyer for SunCruz and suggested Kidan.

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